Sangma's resignation fails to rock NCP in NE RB writes to Pawar
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 23 2012:
State unit president of the NCP and Chairperson of the North East Nationalist Congress Coor-dination Committee (NENCCC) Radhabinod Koijam has stated that the resignation of former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma from the NCP has not affected the party in the North East.
Koijam who is also the Manipur unit NCP president has written a letter to the party president Sharad Pawar saying that the party is intact in the region.
Sangma resigned from the party to contest the Presidential election on June 20.Besides the Tribal Forum of India, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik have also extended support to his candidature.
The BJP has also announced that it would back Sangma.
The NCP, which is a part of the UPA in the Centre, had warned Sangma against contesting the presidential election.
"The NCP in the North East is united and there is no change of mind among us after Sangmaji resigned from the party.
The party is very much intact in the region," Koijam said a few minutes after he sent his letter to Sharad Pawar.
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"Resignation of Mr PA Sangma from the party has not in any way affected the State units in the region," said Koijam's letter, a copy of which was also sent to party leader Praful Patel and the party's presidents of Assam , Nagaland , Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya units.
His (Sangma) decision to resign from the party was taken unilaterally without consulting either the State units or the NENCCC, the letter said.
"I have personally spoken to the NCP presidents of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Nagaland, who have given clear assurance of the party being intact in their respective States.
Manipur unit too is intact," Koijam, also a former Chief Minister, said.
Koijam's letter disclosed that Meghalaya unit NCP president informed him that he would convene a meeting of his State committee (extended) meeting on Sunday to discuss the issue.
Though NCP is a partner in the Centre, its Manipur unit is in the Opposition.
Of the sixty-member Manipur assembly, NCP won a single seat from Keishamthong Constituency in the heart of Imphal in the recently held 10 State Assembly polls.
Koijam further said that the State unit of the NCP will decide on who to support for the post of the President on the instructions of the party's high command.